And so it goes..goodbye Ha Noi

It's been a little more than 3 weeks since I arrived in Vietnam and yesterday was my last day in Hanoi! It was so tough saying goodbye to the children and the SJ V staff and the other volunteers! If only the timing was better because a group of Australians my age were also planning on volunteering for 3 weeks and traveling to Saigon. Even though I was sad to say goodbye I am excited to start the next part of my journey. But I'm also a little scared to be traveling by myself...I'm used to the comfort and company of community of volunteers and the local staff. 
Though when I arrived to Hue this morning, during breakfast at the hotel I met 3 Californians, one of them being Vietnamese American like me! Except they are leaving tonight :(
The open bus was a lot more comfortable than the bus to sapa thank goodness since it was like a 12 hour ride.
Hue so far seems not as crowded or busy. I went to the Dong Ba market which was huge and mostly sold things locals would wear. Like the shirt that says Jayden Pinkett Smith... And I also finally bought those Asian pajama gypsy looking pants! I brought jeans with me cause a certain someone told be to bring then ahem mom but I wore them one day and got heat stroke..apparently people wear them in California so maybe I'll start a trend in Ohio.
When the 3 Californians left around 5 that was when I was truly alone. I walked around to a nice park by the river bridge and sat and read a book. A while later I heard some commotion by the bridge and decided to check it out. Apparently there was some type of festival going on! There were big lotus lights and a huge group of people in a line holding candles. I think it might be a religious day since on my walk back around the streets I saw a lot of stores put altars outside and burning incense.
I got back to the 'Google' hotel around 730pm and there were other young backpackers but I was too tired from the bus ride since I got to Hue at 630 this morning and haven't really slept since my disastrous Sapa bus (actually I don't think I've slept even before I left school cause I had finals)...so I didn't feel like socializing because I'm awkward like that and wanted to enjoy my first night in a hotel room (aside from my birthday but who's counting) and nice bed compared to the dorm-like accommodations in Hanoi.
And now I feel like an old lady calling it an early night to get ready for my early city tour in Hue...

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